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13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
James 3:13-16 ESV

I. THE DEFINITION OF WISDOM
A. There is an infinite gap between the wisdom from below and the wisdom of God from above. (Isaiah 55:6-10)
B. Wisdom is not knowledge, but knowing what to do in a situation to arrive where we want to go.
C. The wise person may or may not know the ways of the world, but they know the ways of God – and the fruit of their lives shows it (Mark 8:36)

II. THE DEMONIZATION OF WORLDLY WISDOM
A. The wisdom from below can be summed up with the statement: It’s all about you! (Ezekiel 36:16-32)
B. The wisdom from above confronts us and says it’s all about Jesus, and we will be miserable until we admit it. (Ezekiel 36:16-32)
C. The arrogance of man is what keeps him from admitting the truth about the falseness of the wisdom of the world.
D. The wisdom from below is not ultimately from the mind of man, but the den of the demonic.

III. NEXT STEPS
A. There is no neutral ground. We will all either live by the wisdom from below or the wisdom from above.
B. The wisdom from above is not a philosophy, but a person: Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:24, 1:30, Colossians 2:2-3).